By Pieter Thomassen

In the bridge room of Tabor Home, Reverend Uncle Peer emphasizes the Feast of the Transfiguration with a Holy Mass in front of twelve wheelchair-bound people. This he does in full pontifical standing behind a pools table transformed into an altar. His nephew, who has been squeezed into a rather narrow red surplice ending just above his knees, acts as his altar server. It marks the beginning of Axel’s finest hour when the weddings-and-funerals choir’s, its members clad in white black tie suits and surrounded by a reddish velvet theatre stage, last notes fade away. Axel is burdened with the profound task of embodying the humility of all god’s people, because the congregation is in no position to kneel.
      Only a day ago, Axel was tacked so severely on the soggy uneven field of RC Football Club Palemig, that in the evening, he had to sit on the sofa while watching the Generation Game, with his swollen knee covered by a tea towel full of ice cubes. The injury rears its head when Axel wants to kneel. Accompanied by the sharp sound of ringing bells, he falls over and, in passing, his waving arms sweep away the devotional candles which causes his hair to catch fire. Revered Uncle Peer doesn’t hesitate for a moment and pours out the chalice, full of mass wine, over his nephew’s head. A sizzling sound can be heard, and slowly the consecrated room is filled with the smell of singed hair.

© Pieter Thomassen
© Translation Holland Park Press

Axel 44 – Axel 43 – Axel 42 – Axel 41 – Axel 40 – Axel 39 – Axel 38 – Axel 37 – Axel 36 – Axel 35 – Axel 34 – Axel 33 – Axel 32 – Axel 31 – Axel 30 – Axel 29 – Axel 28 – Axel 27 – Axel 26 – Axel 25 – Axel 24 – Axel 23 – Axel 22 – Axel 21 – Axel 20 – Axel 19 – Axel 18 – Axel 17 – Axel 16 – Axel 15 – Axel 14 – Axel 13 – Axel 12 – Axel 11 – Axel 10 – Axel 9 – Axel 8 – Axel 7 – Axel 6 – Axel 5 – Axel 4 – Axel 3 – Axel 2 – Axel 1